Evanescence
by Priyanka D
Summary: "You know, I am not going to be with you forever." One-shot / Mai x Naru


**Disclaimer:** I don't own 'Ghost Hunt'. I have just borrowed the characters for penning down this fanfic. And pretty obviously, any resemblance to any of the characters or incidents mentioned in this work of fiction is purely coincidental, duh.

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><p>I found myself in the midst of wild bushes, engulfed by a thick blanket of fog. The long, bony spines prickled my bare legs and the bitterly overwhelming cold made me shiver. I had no idea whatsoever of where I was. There was not a trace of a creature anywhere around; just vast, endless tracts of desolate fields with thick scrubs growing here and there. I shivered again but more so in fear than in chilliness of the sudden gush of wind. Far away, a faint human-like-figure was in view and my heart leapt. The figure approached nearer and I was stunned by the extreme familiarity of it. My eyes widened when I could finally recognize the stature and the outline of the face.<p>

"Naru!" I squeaked in delight, relieved to realize that I was no longer alone.  
>Naru stood at a short distance. Much to my dismay, he didn't say anything. Instead, he just stood fixed to his spot and eyed me cautiously. He took a step forward and then another, leaving me perplexed at his actions. As he leaned forward, I stiffened. I could see his face clearly now which was otherwise difficult in the murkiness of the fog that was now thicker than ever.<br>Naru had the expression on his face that I couldn't decipher but it gave the hint that something was terribly wrong and that he was not being his usual self; he was not being the quiet narcissist I had know him to be. He uttered something incoherent in my ear that sounded more or less like my name. He uttered something more but I failed to comprehend again as the words were merely a string of whispers. Although he was only a few inches away, it felt like we were separated by miles. I felt helpless as I couldn't figure out what he wanted to say to me.  
>I looked up at him and much to my surprise, he was smiling—the way he did in my dreams. Wait, was this a dream? Was I dreaming? I didn't know and didn't want to know either because I didn't want to snap out of it. I wanted to smile back but all I could manage to do was break into tears. My heart was heavy for some reason and I found it difficult to prevent tears from crawling out of my eyes. I buried my head in my hands as it was embarrassing to cry in front of Naru even though he had witnessed me crying quite a lot of times in the past. Then, he patted my head—the way someone would do to console a crying kid. Uh, considering that he always treated me like a kid, this was not quite surprising and was expected. Nonetheless, it made me happy and almost instinctively, I hugged him, but the next moment when the realization of what I had done dawned on me, I felt my cheeks turning red. As I was about to let him go, Naru crossed his arms around me, hugging me back. I was abashed but I felt secure and comfortable in his arms. He didn't say anything but it didn't matter.<p>

"Hey Naru," I said breaking the silence. "I am glad you are here with me. I was scared. I thought I would die here…"  
>"Shut up," Naru cut in. "I don't want to hear you say about dying."<br>"I am sorry." I felt a lump in my throat as tears formed in my eyes again.  
>"Mai," Naru said, freeing me from the hug.<br>"Y–yes?" I blushed as our eyes met.  
>"You know, I am not going to be with you forever." Naru's voice was weary.<br>My eyes widened at the words and I felt a throbbing pain in my chest.  
>"Why?" That was all I could come up with.<br>Naru didn't reply. Instead he looked at me glaringly and I regretted for what I uttered without thinking a moment ago.  
>"It's the best for you if you don't know."<br>"No, I need to know why. I need to know," I insisted. My voice trembled.  
>"That is why I call you a kid," Naru chuckled. "Mai, grow up now."<br>"But I need to know," I entreated. "I can't let you go. Naru, you idiot, I—I—"  
>"I know, right?" Naru chuckled again which annoyed me. "I am sorry."<br>"Does a sorry matter now?" I muttered and looked away, and before I could say anything else, I felt Naru's lips on mine.  
>I stiffened where I stood and I could feel my heart beating fast. And pretty soon I realized that that was the first and the last kiss we shared. As Naru retreated, he said nothing but just smiled and turned around to walk away.<br>"Wait," I wailed.  
>He was already at a considerable distance; far from my reach. The thorns pricked my ankles and my mouth was dry but I didn't care.<br>"Naru, don't go," I cried but in vain.  
>He had already disappeared in the mist as if he was never there in the first place. It was the same pain that I felt when the death of my parents first came to my knowledge many years back.<br>"Why does everyone leave me? Why is everyone so selfish? Dammit! Why?" I shut my years tight and let the tears fall.

"Mai!" I heard a familiar voice. I opened my eyes in an instant and saw Ayako with Bou-san, John and Masako by her side.  
>"Huh?" I shuddered and looked around. I was amazed to find myself lying on a couch. Oh wait, I was in the office!<br>"Mai, you must have had a terrible dream, didn't you?" Bou-san said, crossing his arms on his chest and raising an eyebrow.  
>"Poor thing," Ayako remarked. "Oh, by the way, you called out Naru in your sleep."<br>I flushed and noticed Masako glaring at me while Ayako and Bou-san smirked. Ayako poured some tea and offered me a cup.  
>"Thanks," I said. "But how did I fall asleep here?"<br>"Eh? Don't you remember the late night party that we had yesterday?" Bou-san said.  
>"It took you only three sips of beer to doze off," Ayako added.<br>"Oh, yeah. I remember now. Perhaps that beer was too strong for me. My head still feels a bit heavy."  
>I heard the door open and saw Naru.<br>"Welcome back," Masako greeted.  
>"Pour me some tea as well," Naru said as he headed towards his room.<br>He didn't look at me or anyone else present there but I immediately felt a sense of joy to see him.  
>"Roger," I chimed in as I took the tray from Ayako.<br>For a second Naru was surprised at my sudden enthusiasm but he regained his composure soon enough.

Naru entered his room and occupied his seat at the workstation. I placed his cup of tea on the table, feeling relieved that Naru was not… gone.  
>"What's wrong with you?" Naru said picking up some files.<br>"Uhh, erm, nothing," I grinned like an idiot.  
>"You are acting weird," Naru continued, sipping his tea.<br>"Oh, am I?"  
>"Did something happen?"<br>"Yes—Err, I meant, no. Nothing happened." Damn, there was no way I could narrate my dream to him.  
>I noticed him looking at me suspiciously and then I suddenly remembered the kiss which made me blush crimson red.<br>Just then, the door flung open.  
>"We have a client, man," Bou-san said.<br>I breathed a sigh of relief and was thankful to Bou-san for intruding at the right time.  
>"Yes, coming," Naru said, stacking the files on the table.<br>_Yosh!_ It was time for some ghost hunting.

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><p><strong>AN:**OMG! I finally wrote a fanfic for 'Ghost Hunt' even though it's short. I wanted to write one for quite some time but due to my habit of procrastinating, I wasn't able to. Anyway, do leave a review. Constructive criticisms are welcome U_U Your reviews are my source of inspiration to keep on writing *puppy eyes* :3


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